n., pl., moose.
A hoofed mammal (Alces alces) found in forests of northern North America and in Eurasia and having a broad, pendulous muzzle and large, palmate antlers in the male.
[Eastern Abenaki mos.]
Dictionary:
moose (mūs)
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[Eastern Abenaki mos.]
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia:
moose |
For more information on moose, visit Britannica.com.
Animal Encyclopedia:
Moose |
Alces alces
TAXONOMY
Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758), Sweden.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: American moose; French: Elan; German: Elch; Spanish: Alce.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Largest of contemporary Cervidae. European moose: bull body length 87–110 in (220–280 cm), cow body length 87–106 in (220–270 cm); weight: bull 620–930 lb (280–420 kg), cows 600–770 lb (270–350 kg). North American moose: bull body length 140 in (350 cm), cow 125 in (315 cm); weight: bull 880–1,400 lb (400–630 kg), cows 1,200 lb (550 kg). Short body with hump-like withers, sloping rump, and very short tail, all mounted on long legs to 31 in (80 cm). Head is huge, long, and narrow, with a square upper lip hangs over the lower one. Muzzle is hairy, with a small bald spot between nostrils. The ears are large, oval, and vividly express all moods from fear to aggression. Short and thick neck furnished with mane, a skinny pendant (the bell) hanging from the throat; in North American moose, bell reaches 14 in (35 cm). Hooves are long and narrow. Dewclaws are also long, functional fingers surrounded by a strong stretchable membrane that reaches ground surface while walking. There is also a stretchable web between hoof fingers. Usually moose antlers are wide, palmate, though there are individuals with deer-like antlers in the same habitats. Coat color in adults is dark-brown with lighter legs. Moose have no rump patch. Calves are reddish brown, with no spots. Teeth are adapted to soft vegetable forage. Incisors are straight, chisel-like, good at nipping off wood bark. Moose cannot feed on harsh steppe grasses.
DISTRIBUTION
In North America, moose area extends from Alaskan tundra to Minnesota. Range of moose distribution in Eurasia spans from Scandinavia and eastern Poland to Pacific Ocean.
HABITAT
Inhabits nearly total forest zone of the northern hemisphere, and penetrates along forested or bushy ravines or river valleys far to the north to tundra, or to the south to steppes. Altitude of habitats varies from seashore plains to mountain forest limits. Moose adapted to climate with drastically changing temperatures. Snow cover deeper than 28–31 in (70–80 cm) impedes traveling, though they survives in areas with snow cover deeper than 7 ft (200 cm). Inhabit vast marshlands of western Siberia where they cross the swampiest patches crawling on their belly with forelegs stretched out in front.
In winter, they prefer mature coniferous and mixed deciduous-coniferous forests, young coniferous forests, forested banks of rivulets and lakes, burnouts, and cut clearings. In northern areas of America and Eurasia, moose come to shrub tundra and reach shores of the Arctic Ocean migrating along river valleys.
BEHAVIOR
Live solitarily or in small groups: mother, calf (calves), sometimes yearling(s). Two females with calves happen to make a congregation; sometimes a bull joins them. In areas rich in forages, there are sometimes large moose congregations, to 270 animals in Altai Mountains. No social bonds exist in those gatherings and, when disturbed, moose flee independently, without following any leader. Sedentary though summer and winter; home grounds might be separated. Migrate 18–24 mi (30–40 km) searching for more suitable habitat as seasons change. In winter, the deeper snow, the less desirable a home ground.
Active mostly in mornings and evenings, and switch to nocturnal life in summer, as insect harassment increases. Moose usually walk or trot (to 9.3 mph [15 km/h]) and can rush to gallop (18.6 mph [30 km/h]) for a short distance; they are good swimmers and divers.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Winter diet is wood and shrub bark and branches, while in summer they feed on leaves of trees and shrubs, on aquatic plants, forest under story grasses, and various herbs. It strongly prefers willow, poplar, aspen, mountain ash, blueberry, bird cherry tree, and buckthorn. An adult in winter consumes daily 22–30 lb (10–13 kg) of forage, and more than 66 lb (30 kg) during summer and spring. Aquatic plants make an important part of diet to supply animals with necessary nutritive components. Moose easily digest many toxic plants, the latter comprising up to 30% of diet. The highly unusual structure of the moose nose is apparently a specialization for feeding on aquatic vegetation. It evolved late in the Pleistocene in Eurasia.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Polygynous. Beginning of rut in August is signed by broken bushes, striped bark, as bulls are getting rid of antler velvet. Bulls produce typical sounds similar with groans. After one to two days together, they part and a bull starts searching for another female. The hairy skin flap under the jaw, the bell, has been identified as a scent distribution organ. It is splashed with urine when bulls dig rutting pits and serves to attract females, which are greatly attracted to bull moose scent. From end of August to mid October, during rut, females come to heat every 18–21 days. Gestation period varies 215–243 days, calving lasts from mid April to mid July. There are average 1.2-1.6 young per birth. Females from 3–7 years old often give birth to twins. Moose reach sexual maturity at one and a half years, bulls mate from an age of two and a half years.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
One of the most important game animal of the northern hemisphere. Many people use moose harvest as main source of food and skin. In Russian army of the eighteenth century, all horsemen wore trousers made of moose skin. Currently, moose became subject of sport game for sustainable use. Annual harvest in North America is more than 50,000; in Sweden 164,000; in Russia 80,000.
Sci-Tech Encyclopedia:
Moose |
An even-toed ungulate (Artiodactyla) which is a member of the deer family, Cervidae. Alces alces is the largest member of the family and ranges in the boreal forested areas throughout North America and in northern Eurasia. The moose is known as the elk in Europe and is believed by some authorities to be a race of the American moose (A. americana). The legs are long, making the animal well-adapted for its feeding habits of wading for aquatic plants and browsing on trees and bushes. During the rutting season in the early fall, the male gathers a number of cows together, and mating takes place. After a gestation period of about 37 weeks, one or two calves are born. See also Artiodactyla.
Word Origin:
moose |
This creature first came to the notice of the English in a bock written in 1613 about a voyage to what would be called New England (1616): "Captaine Thomas Hanham sayled to the Riuer of Sagadahoc 1606. He relateth of their beasts ... redde Deare, and a beast bigger, called the Mus." The name comes from the Eastern Abenaki Indian language and means "he trims or cuts off," referring to the way the moose eats bark and twigs off trees.
In his 1616 Description of New England, Captain John Smith was sufficiently impressed to list first among animals there, "Moos, a beast bigger then a Stagge."
Columbia Encyclopedia:
moose |
Veterinary Dictionary:
moose |
Largest of the deer, 6 feet at the withers, 2000 pounds. Males have a prominent roman nose and overhanging upper lip, dark brown coat with white legs. Called also American moose, Alces americana, Alces alces.
Word Tutor:
moose |
I am as strong as a bull moose and you can use me to the limit.
— Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919).
Tutor's tip: The hunter tried to lure the "moose" (a large antlered animal) with chocolate "mousse" (a creamy gelatinous dessert) but caught a "mouse" (a rodent) instead.
Wikipedia:
Moose |
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The moose (North America) or common European elk (Europe), Alces alces, is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a "twig-like" configuration. Moose typically inhabit boreal and mixed deciduous forests of the Northern Hemisphere in temperate to subarctic climates.
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Contents
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The animal bearing the scientific name Alces alces is known in North America and New Zealand, as the moose. Moose is both singular and plural unlike goose, which in the plural is geese. The word moose is a borrowing from one Algonquian language, with the possible meaning of "stripping off"[2]. The word moose first entered English in 1606 from Captain Thomas Hanham's Mus, and in 1616 from Captain John Smith's Moos, with possible mutual reinforcement in usage.[3]
The British English name for Alces alces is elk, with cognates in other Indo-European languages, for example elch in German and łoś in Polish.
Confusingly, the word elk is used in North America to refer to a different animal, Cervus canadensis, also known as the wapiti. Except for its much larger size (it is the second largest deer species in the world), it is almost identical to the smaller red deer of Central and Western Europe. Presumably early European explorers in North America called it elk because of its size.
In North America, the moose range includes almost all of Canada, most of central and western Alaska, much of New England and upstate New York, the upper Rocky Mountains, Northeastern Minnesota, and Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Isle Royale in Lake Superior. Isolated moose populations have been verified as far south as the mountains of Utah and Colorado.[4] In 1978, a few breeding pairs were introduced in western Colorado, and the state's moose population is now more than 1,000.
In Europe, moose are found in large numbers throughout Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Baltic States. They are also widespread through Russia. Small populations remain in Poland (Biebrza Nat. Park), Belarus and the Czech Republic.
Moose were successfully introduced on Newfoundland in 1904 where they are now the dominant ungulate, and somewhat less successfully on Anticosti Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Ten moose were introduced in Fiordland, New Zealand, in 1910. At one time this population was thought to have died off, but sightings have been reported, and in fact moose hair samples were found by a New Zealand scientist in 2002.[5] In 2008, two moose were reintroduced in to the Scottish Highlands. There are plans for dozens more of the animals to be shipped to in Scotland by spring 2010.[6]
Finland In 2008 there were 264 000 moose in Finland.
Norway In 2007 there were 120 000 moose in Norway.
Newfoundland In 2007 There were 150 000 moose in newfoundland.
| Common name | Binomial | Range |
|---|---|---|
| European Moose | A. a. alces | Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia and Russia. Extirpated from central and western Europe except for Poland, Lithuania and Belarus, but can be observed in Bohemia since the 1970s. (Range formerly included France, Germany, and Benelux nations.) |
| Eastern Moose | A. a. americana | eastern Canada and northeastern United States |
| Western Moose | A. a. andersoni | western Canada, Michigan (Upper Peninsula), northern Wisconsin, northern Minnesota, northeastern North Dakota |
| Siberian Moose | A. a. cameloides | eastern Siberia, Mongolia, and Manchuria |
| Alaska Moose | A. a. gigas | Alaska and Yukon. Largest subspecies. |
| Shiras Moose | A. a. shirasi | Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Washington , Oregon.[7] Smallest subspecies. |
All moose are herbivores and are capable of consuming any type of plant or fruit. The average adult moose needs to consume 9,770 calories per day to maintain its body weight.[8]
The male's antlers grow as cylindrical beams projecting on each side of the head at right angles to the midline of the skull, and then fork. The lower prong of this fork may be either simple, or divided into two or three tines, with some flattening.
In the North Siberian elk (A. a. bedfordiae), the posterior division of the main fork divides into three tines, with no distinct flattening. In the common elk (A. a. alces) this branch usually expands into a broad palmation, with one large tine at the base, and a number of smaller snags on the free border. There is, however, a Scandinavian breed of the common elk in which the antlers are simpler, and recall those of the East Siberian animals.
The palmation appears to be more marked in North American moose (Alces alces americanus) than in the typical Scandinavian elk.
The male will drop its antlers after the mating season and conserve energy for the winter. A new set of antlers will then regrow in the spring. Antlers take three to five months to fully develop, making them one of the fastest growing animal organs. They initially have a layer of skin, called "velvet," which is shed once the antlers become fully grown. Immature bulls may not shed their antlers for the winter, but retain them until the following spring.
If a bull moose is castrated, either by accidental or chemical means, he will quickly shed his current set of antlers and then immediately begin to grow a new set of misshapen and deformed antlers that he will wear the rest of his life without ever shedding again. The distinctive looking appendages (often referred to as "devil's antlers") are the source of several myths and legends among many groups of Inuit as well as several other tribes of indigenous peoples of North America.[9]
On average, an adult moose stands 1.8–2.1 m (6–7 ft) high at the shoulder.[10] Males weigh 380–720 kg (850–1580 pounds) and females weigh 270–360 kg (600–800 pounds).[11] The largest of all is the Alaskan subspecies (A. a. gigas), which can stand over 2.1 m (7 ft) at the shoulder, has a span across the antlers of 1.8 m (6 ft) and averages 634.5 kg (1,396 lbs) in males and 478 kg (1,052 lbs) in females.[12] Typically, however, the antlers of a mature specimen are between 1.2 m (3.9 ft) and 1.5 m (4.9 ft). The largest confirmed size for this species was a bull shot at the Yukon River in September 1897 weighing 820 kg (1,800 lb) and was 233 cm (92 in) tall at the shoulder.[13] The Moose of Alaska matches the extinct Irish Elk as the largest deer of all time.[14] Behind only the bison, the Moose is the second largest land animal in both North America and Europe.
Moose are mostly diurnal. They are generally solitary with the strongest bonds between mother and calf. Two individuals can sometimes be found feeding along the same stream.
Mating occurs in September and October. The males are polygamous and will seek several females to breed with. During this times both sexes will call to each other. Males produce heavy grunting sounds that can be heard from up to 500 meters away, while females produce wail-like sounds.[15] Males will fight for access to females. They either assess which is larger, with the smaller bull retreating, or they may engage in battles, usually only involving the antlers.
Female moose have an eight-month gestation period, usually bearing one calf, or twins if food is plentiful,[16] in May or June.[17] Newborn moose have fur with a reddish hue in contrast to the brown appearance of an adult. The young will stay with the mother until just before the next young are born.
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A full-grown moose has few enemies, but a pack of wolves can still pose a threat, especially to females with calves.[18] Siberian Tigers [19] and Brown Bear[12][20] are also known to prey on juvenile moose, although bears are more likely to take over a wolf kill than to hunt moose on their own.[21] American Black Bears and Cougars can be significant predators of moose calves in May and June.[22][23]
In some areas, moose are the primary source of food for wolves. Moose usually flee upon detecting wolves. Wolves usually follow moose at a distance of 100 to 400 metres (330 to 1,300 ft), occasionally at a distance of 2 to 3 kilometres (1.2 to 1.9 mi). Attacks from wolves against young moose may last seconds, though sometimes they can be drawn out for days with adults. Sometimes, wolves will chase moose into shallow streams or onto frozen rivers, where their mobility is greatly impeded. Moose will sometimes stand their ground and defend themselves by charging at the wolves or lashing out at them with their powerful hooves. Wolves typically kill moose by tearing at their haunches and perineum, causing massive blood loss. Occasionally, a wolf may immobilise a moose by biting its sensitive nose, the pain of which can paralyze a moose.[24] Wolf packs primarily target calves and elderly animals, but can and will take healthy, adult moose. Moose between the ages of two and eight are rarely killed by wolves.[25] Though moose are usually hunted by packs, there are cases in which single wolves have successfully killed moose.[26]
Moose are hunted as a game species in many of the countries where they are found. Moose meat tastes, wrote Henry David Thoreau in “The Maine Woods”, “like tender beef, with perhaps more flavour; sometimes like veal”. While the flesh has protein levels similar to other comparable red meats (e.g. beef, deer and elk) it has a low fat content and the fat that is found is made up of a higher proportion of polyunsaturated fats (rather than saturated fats).[27]
Cadmium levels are high in Finnish elk liver and kidneys, with the result that consumption of these organs from elk more than one year old is prohibited in Finland.[28] Cadmium intake has been found to be elevated amongst all consumers of elk meat, though the elk meat was found to contribute only slightly to the daily cadmium intake. However the consumption of moose liver or kidneys significantly increased cadmium intake, with the study revealing that heavy consumers of moose organs have a relatively narrow safety margin below the levels which would probably cause adverse health effects.[29]
European rock drawings and cave paintings reveal that moose have been hunted since the Stone Age. Excavations in Alby, Sweden, adjacent to the Stora Alvaret have yielded elk antlers in wooden hut remains from 6,000 BC, indicating some of the earliest elk hunting in northern Europe. In northern Scandinavia one can still find remains of trapping pits used for hunting elk. These pits, which can be up to 4 × 7 m wide and 2 m deep, would have been camouflaged with branches and leaves. They would have had steep sides lined with planks, making it impossible for the elk to escape once it fell in. The pits are normally found in large groups, crossing the elk's regular paths and stretching over several kilometres. Remains of wooden fences designed to guide the animals toward the pits have been found in bogs and peat. In Norway, an early example of these trapping devices has been dated to around 3,700 BC. Trapping elk in pits is an extremely effective hunting method, and as early as the 16th century the Norwegian government tried to restrict their use. Nevertheless, the method was in use until the 19th century.
The earliest recorded description of the elk is in Julius Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico, where it is described thus:
In book 8, chapter 16 of Pliny the Elder's Natural History from 77 AD the elk and an animal called achlis, which is presumably the same animal, are described thus:
Dr. Valerius Geist, who emigrated to Canada from the Soviet Union wrote in his 1999 book Moose: Behaviour, Ecology, Conservation:
Moose are not usually aggressive towards humans, but can be provoked or frightened to behave with aggression. In terms of raw numbers, they attack more people than bears and wolves combined, but usually with only minor consequences. When harassed or startled by people or in the presence of a dog, moose may charge. Also, as with bears or any wild animal, moose that have become habituated to being fed by people may act aggressively when denied food. During the fall mating season, bull moose may be aggressive toward humans due to the high hormone levels they experience during this time. Cows with young calves are very protective and will attack humans who come too close, especially if they come between mother and calf. Unlike other dangerous animals, moose are not territorial, and do not view humans as food, and will therefore usually not pursue humans if they simply run away.[32] Like any wild animal, moose are unpredictable and should be given a respectful amount of space.
A moose's body structure, with a large heavy body suspended on long spindly legs, makes these animals particularly dangerous when hit by passenger cars with low ground clearances. Generally, when colliding with a moose at high speed, the car's bumper and front grille will break the moose's legs, causing the body of the moose to fly up and over the car's hood and deliver the bulk of the animal's weight into the windscreen, crushing the front roof support beams and anyone in the front seats. Collisions of this type are frequently lethal; seatbelts offer no protection, and airbags may not deploy or be of much use if they do.[33] Although vehicles with higher clearances (such as trucks) are typically immune from this effect, the force of striking any 1,000+ lb. object at high speed should not be underestimated. These risks led to the development of a vehicle test referred to as the "moose test" (Swedish: Älgtest, German: Elchtest).
Moose warning signs are used on roads in regions where there is a danger of collision with the animal. The triangular warning signs common in Sweden, Norway and Finland have become coveted souvenirs among tourists traveling in these countries, causing the road authorities so much expense that the moose signs have been replaced with image-less generic warning signs in some regions.[34]
Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten estimated in January 2008 that some 13,000 moose had died in collisions with Norwegian trains since 2000. The state agency in charge of railroad infrastructure (Jernbaneverket) plans to spend 80 million Norwegian kroner to reduce collision rate in the future by fencing the railways, clearing vegetation from near the tracks, and providing alternative snow-free feeding places for the animals elsewhere.[35]
In the Canadian province of New Brunswick, collisions with moose are frequent enough that all new highways have fences to prevent moose from accessing the road, similar to how it has long been done in Finland, Norway and Sweden. Demonstratively, Highway 7 between Fredericton and Saint John, which has one of the highest frequencies of moose collisions in the province, does not have these fences, although it is extremely well signed.[36] In Newfoundland and Labrador, it is recommended to motorists to use caution between dusk and dawn, because that is when moose are most active and most difficult to see, increasing the risk of collisions.[37] Local moose sightings are often reported on radio stations so that motorists can take care while driving in particular areas.
Domestication of moose was investigated in the Soviet Union before World War II. Early experiments were inconclusive, but with the creation of a moose farm at Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve in 1949 a small-scale moose domestication program was started, involving attempts at selective breeding of animals based on their behavioural characteristics. Since 1963, the programme has continued at Kostroma Moose Farm, which had a herd of 33 tame moose as of 2003. Although at this stage the farm is not expected to be a profit-making enterprise, it obtains some income from the sale of moose milk and from visiting tourist groups. Its main value, however, is seen in the opportunities it offers for the research in the physiology and behaviour of the moose, as well as in the insights it provides into the general principles of animal domestication.
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There are photographic records of moose apparently being broken-in for haulage:
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Translations:
moose |
Dansk (Danish)
n. - elsdyr, elg
Français (French)
n. - (Zool) élan
Deutsch (German)
n. - (Zool.) Amerikanischer Elch
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (ζωολ.) άλκη (η αμερικανική)
Português (Portuguese)
n. - alce (m) (Zool.)
Русский (Russian)
американский лось
Español (Spanish)
n. - alce, anta
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - (amerikansk) älg
中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
麋, 北美麋
中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 麋, 北美麋
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 덩치가 큰 사람, 사슴의 한 종류
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) نوع من الحيوانات في أمريكا الشماليه
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - אייל צפון-אמריקאי (שטוח-קרניים), מוז
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